jackiel3290

On 5/19/2023 at 12:48 PM, jjjct said:

Is there a clothes line in the shower to hang wet items to dry? We are on the Viking Mani in July, our 1st River Cruise.

Yes, there is a retractable clothesline in the shower.

On 9/7/2022 at 4:01 PM, Italy52 said:

I am wondering about this as well.  I always mark our cabin as "do not upgrade."  However, with this new process, I might be willing to change my mind. 

We didn’t bid and got an upgrade. If I hadn’t checked our account before we left home, we would have had wrong luggage tags. We were happy to get a balcony without paying extra, but they should have sent us a message.

I had a Keratin Complex treatment on Crown Princess in February. I have curly hair and this treatment lasted longer than the ones I have had at my local salon before and was close to the same price. 

3 hours ago, Knickearth said:

We are on the Ruby next Sat.  Want to know if they have the pub lunch and if so is it still free

 

thanks

We were on Crown in February 14 day to Hawaii. Because of high demand, they designated the Pub Lunch in one of the Main Dining Rooms for lunch on 2 sea days. It was free.

On 6/1/2023 at 9:59 AM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Many people have commented that they do not like the "new" motion sensor lights on the nightstand and in the "hallway" outside the bathroom.  It can be quite annoying for the person still in bed if the other gets up in the middle of the night.  Take a short length of blue painters tape wrapped on a pen or any other type of item that packs easily.  Tear off about 3-4 inches for each motion sensor.  Blue tape removes very easily and will not harm the sensor at all.  I carry this wrapped on a popsicle stick and carry it in my little "emergency" toolkit (a very small plastic pouch with things like ty-wraps, tiny/medium screwdrivers & anything I can think of that might get you out of a bind.)

 

 

Those motion sensors were a problem for my husband. I am the one getting up during the night. Blue tape is a great suggestion. There is also the sensor that turns on the closet light. It is really bright. I am not sure where the sensor is for that.

We took a TA from Barcelona to Port Canaveral in October-November last year. We took casual pants/ leggings and layers for tops. I had long-sleeved tops and fleece full zip with lined windbreakers. Didn’t need scarves but hats and gloves were helpful some days. The wind on deck was fierce!

On 1/5/2023 at 11:51 AM, candycaramel said:

I have a vision of packing and wearing a couple of nice sundresses on my Mediterranean cruise next April.

I looked up the weather for Italy, Greece and other countries to be visited and I am concerned that it may be raining and highs may be in the 60's.

What have been your experiences traveling to the Mediterranean in late April to early May?

 

We sailed from Venice to Athens in early May. In Venice, it rained and was cold for 3 days. Italy doesn’t allow the heat to be turned on after May first. We couldn’t get the water heater to work for more than 2 minutes at a time and the extra blankets were locked up. 
 

By the time we got to Athens, it was blazing hot. I second the layers suggestion. We always travel with raincoats in a pouch and I like twin-sets. I would take a combination of long pants, capris and shorts but not too many light sundresses. 

On 1/12/2023 at 3:51 PM, pookel said:

 

Thank you!! As far as I know, I don't have plantar fascitis, but I am 45 and I do have extreme flat feet and overpronation, and I'm prone to shin splints if I walk too much in a single day. So you're right, I should visit an orthopedist. My usual practice is just to wear nothing but Clarks, Brooks, and a couple other brands I trust with good arch support (it's also hard to find brands as I wear a 9.5 wide, and the wide width is not optional!). But custom inserts do sound like a good idea instead of limiting myself to a couple of brands.

I also have had plantar fasciitis. I have had success with Brooks athletic shoes, Teva sandals, and Clark’s. The brand that has really saved my feet though are Munro’s. They have 5 widths, slim, narrow, medium, wide and extra-wide. Their retail price is high, $200-$250, but I am lucky to live near the factory in Hot Springs, Arkansas where I can get them for $60-$70. Take care of your feet! If they are hurting, you won’t have a good time. 

I too love the cotton dresses from Land’s End. They can be worn on their own or as a coverup.

DH and I will be on this cruise. Join the Roll Call. There hasn’t been a lot of traffic on it, we welcome more discussion.

We are cruising on Crown Princess from LA to Hawaii and back. With 10 sea days, we would 

like to find someplace to play games (cards, dominoes, Farkle) with BIL and SIL. We are new to Princess and are not familiar with the nooks and crannies to do something like this. The Library looks small and we wouldn’t want to disturb others wanting peace and quiet reading. On RCL, we found a nook in the Windjammer where our knitting group met and others were playing various games. It was handy to get drinks or snacks too. And ideas?

Arkansas is a great place to view the eclipse in 2024. Here is a link on the Arkansas Tourism Board. https://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/outdoors/skygazing/2024-eclipse
 

I know you won’t be on a cruise, but this will be one of the best places to view the eclipse.

We had to go through passport control at Schipohl in October on our way to Barcelona.  We then found ourselves in a long security check line and were running out of time. Someone was asking the flight times and was expediting those who were about to miss their flights. We only had an hour layover. It wasn’t really enough time. We were on Delta/KLM. We made it, but just barely.

On 11/21/2022 at 4:18 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

The Royal Hawaiian Band is fantastic and well worth the effort to go if they have a performance the day you are in port. 
 

I do not know when you are arriving, but check out the Royal Hawaiian Band concert calendar.

https://www.rhb-music.com

 

Also check out Ala Moana Center Stage for free shows.

https://www.alamoanacenter.com/en/events/daily-hula-show-40430.html

 

If you are planning to visit inside Iolani Palace, you can purchase tickets.

https://www.iolanipalace.org/events/royal-hawaiian-band-concerts/

 

As a senior, you can ride the bus for a reduced fare (price increase).  Exact change and masks required.

http://www.thebus.org/Fare/SeniorFareNew.asp

 

City Hall might have their Christmas decorations up soon.  Across the street from the Palace.

 

Also walk around the State Capitol...on the grounds of Iolani Palace.

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov

 

 

 

 

On 10/3/2022 at 5:30 PM, crzndeb said:

I’m on the New Years cruise after yours, and though I normally cruise solo, doing a family cruise with daughters and grandkids. We were originally scheduled for MTD, but moved over to Traditional at 5:30. A lot of people are moving over to TD, so if you want to switch, do it now. A couple of us were waitlisted, but got moved.

You will be happier with a set dining time with a big group. Our family sailed on a Christmas cruise on Norwegian which is all MTD. Every evening we would send someone to make our reservation for 11 and generally had 30 minute or more waits. We would then call everyone to the dining room when our table was ready. It was not fun.

On 10/5/2022 at 1:47 PM, retiredgram said:

This is why I am not getting ours renewed until after we return close to the end of Feb. 2023.  We have cruises in Nov., Dec., and Feb. I know Royal recommends having 6 months before passport expires, they expire Mar. 2023. No way can we take the chance new passports will be back on time.  As a precaution, we are also taking our ID, birth certificates and marriage license.

 

We have cruised long enough to know better, but time just snuck up on us. First thing we will do when we return in Feb., is to send for new passports.

 

The last couple times we did check in, I got the statement that Royal recommends 6 months before expiration. 

You may not be allowed to travel out of the country with less that 6 months left on your passport.

We didn’t find out until we boarded. We were far up in the bow, one back from farthest in the front. We had no issues until the last night traveling from Progresso to Galveston. I got nauseous from the rise and fall all the way back. I try to book closer to the middle now. Not sure I will book GTY again, but it was a cheap cruise.

I love using a Vault Pro daypack from Magellans. They also make cross-body bags, totes  and small bags. They have rfid blocking card holders, latching zippers, cut-proof stainless steel wires in the straps and slash-proof wire mesh between fabric layers. 

During Covid, I quit wearing foundation and discovered a tinted sunscreen. My face no longer breaks out, my fair skin is better protected and it looks just as good. One less bottle in my bag too. I find small makeup sets for travel at duty free shops which puts less in the bag. 

Better Than Sex! I found this at Ulta and tried it just because of the name. It is great and they make a travel size.

We regularly travel to Puerto Vallarta and most businesses in stores take US $. When going to the Mercado, they prefer Pesos. If you are taking a taxi, they take US $, but if you ride a city bus, you need peso coins. It depends on where you are using money whether you need pesos or not. We have gotten a good exchange  rate at our resort ( not my usual experience other places) and only convert what we think we need. 

On 8/14/2022 at 3:41 PM, wcook said:

 

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

 

Don’t wear red or yellow.

Viking offered free air, and I thought, ok, but from major US cities. We got free air from Little Rock, plus the cruise was also discounted!!! This in spring of 2022, so I am sure it was Covid related, but we took advantage.

Princess has an off now for $400 towards air. They found flights for us on Southwest for $450. Not bad!

You are now allowed to self-administer. 

A lot of musicians working on cruise ships are jazz musicians. Mostly they are asked to play other styles. Later at night, they will get to perform what they want. Make friends with the members of a group and see if they take requests. I am sure they would prefer to play jazz if their audience wants it.